Bagram Air Base as last US soldiers set to leave

(29 Jun 2021) For nearly 20 years, it was the heart of US military power in Afghanistan, a sprawling mini city behind fences and blast walls, just an hour’s drive north of Kabul. It was initially a symbol of the US drive to avenge the 9/11 attacks, then of its struggle for a way through the civil war that ensued. US Central Command said last week that it has already packed up more than 50% of Bagram, and the rest is going fast. US officials have said the entire pullout of US troops will most likely be finished by July 4. The Afghan military will then take over Bagram Airfield, to be used in its continuing fight against the Taliban and in what many in the country fear will be a new eruption of chaos. The departure is a moment rife with its own symbolism. Not least, it’s the second time that an invader of Afghanistan has come and gone through Bagram. In just a matter of days, the last US soldier will depart from Bagram Airfield. They are leaving what most with a conn